Kolob Canyons and Cedar Break National Monument - Part 10 of 11 of 2010 Tour of SW USA

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兩側絕壁對峙，如刀劈斧削。

Zoom in on the box canyon here.

Direction to Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park

The Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park is located just off Interstate Highway I-15 at exit 40 in southwestern Utah, USA. It is 2 miles east of I-15. It is in the northwest part of Zion National Park. From Interstate 15, Use exit 40. After exiting the I-15, turn eastward and follow the paved road a short distance to the visitor center. Then take the 5-mile scenic Kolob Canyons Road to tour Kolob Canyons.

Location: Cedar Break National Monument sits high at 10,200 feet of elevation up in the heavy pine forests of the Markagunt Plateau, located in southwestern Utah, USA, and is 22 miles east of Cedar City,

South Entrance: From Cedar City (on Interstate Highway 15) take scenic Utah Highway 14 to go east for 18 miles and climb about 5,000 feet toward the high plateau through lovely Cedar Canyon. (This is one of the most scenic side roads in Utah, this road reveals splendid views of Cedar Breaks from below). Then turn left into Utah Highway 148 and go north for 4 miles to reach the South Entrance. (Highway 148 may be closed even in early June if there are still too much snow on the ground blocking this road.)

North Entrance: From Interstate Highway I-15, exit at Parowan, then take Utah Highway 143 east and climb about 5,000 feet to reach the North Entrance of Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Maps of local area of Cedar Break National Monument are available at the following website:

These fantastic canyons seen along this 5-mile scenic drive are called “Finger Canyons” because there are five of them, each several miles in length and pointing to the west. The fingers are tall, orange colored rock formations with narrow canyons between them. These five Finger Canyons can be seen more clearly on the Google map for Kolob Canyons area with Satellite View as shown at the following website:

The viewers of the Google Satellite Map or MapQuest Aerial Map may need to zoom in or zoom out slightly to see all five Finger Canyons on the map.

With such satellite view or aerial view, these five "Finger Canyons" appear to have been carved by some gigantic hand into the edge of the Kolob Terrace.

The North View Overlook enabled us to see only a portion of the giant amphitheaters of hoodoos in Cedar Break National Monument. Due to the snow closing of the 5-mile Scenic Rim Drive (i.e. Highway 148), we were not able to reach other overlooks and hiking trails, such as Point Supreme, Point Spectra, Rampart Viewpoint, Chessmen Ridge Overlook, Sunset View, etc.

Each of the park's lookouts provides a different angle to view spectacular, brilliant sandstone pinnacles featured in the 3-mile wide and 2,500-foot-deep amphitheater. Different angle may provide optimal dramatic view at different time of the day relative to the angle of sun light, such as sunrise or sunset.

However, sample photos of views from these additional overlooks, vista points and hiking trails can be seen at the following websites:

Spectacular views of majestic soaring cliffs of red Navajo sandstone of Finger Canyons in Kolob Canyons which is in the northwestern part of Zion National Park in Utah, USA. We toured Kolob Canyons in early April 2003, on June 1, 2010, and on May 22, 2017.

The five-mile scenic drive starts at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center at the entrance and climbs steeply into a spectacular canyon area with sheer cliffs of red rocks of the Kolob Canyons. The scenic drive ends at a turn-about known as the Timber Creek Overlook which features an absolutely breathtaking view of the Kolob Terrace. The road ascends 1100 feet in 5 miles with moderately steep grades and many curves. Along the route there are several pullouts that mark points of interest with interpretive signs. Touring this 5-mile winding scenic drive felt like 10 times its distance as every turn or 100-feet unveils a stunning new vista to admire. It is breathtaking, raw and unpolished mountains and canyons where striking orange-red cliffs contrast sharply against the blue sky and green valleys, showing nature in all its splendor.

氣勢非凡， 氣象萬千，形成一道如畫的風景，有如臨仙界之感。

There were still a lot of snow on Highway 143 on June 2, 2010 when we arrived. The summit elevation of Highway 143 is 10,420 feet near the North Entrance of Cedar Break National Monument. Visitors have to breath deeply up here, because the air is thin at such high elevation.

After reading Parts 1 to 9 of my reports on our 2010 tour of southwest USA, some friends asked me about why I toured those desert areas during the hot summer days in June? Why not tour these places during Spring or Autumn seasons when the weather is not so hot? Well, in spring season, Cedar Break National Monument is totally closed due to deep snow at such high elevation. The total annual snowfall is about 400 inches at Cedar Break National Monument.

Similarly, the road to the North Rim of Grand Canyon is not open until after May 15 because of snow at such high elevation of 8,000 to 9,000 feet in North Rim of Grand Canyon.

In 2008, we were touring Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in late August and early September. However, on September 1, 2008 (still in the summer season), it was snowing heavily mixed with hailstones in Yellowstone National Park at elevation of 8,000 feet or more. We had to cut short of our tour and left on September 1, 2008.

Yes, if we skip high elevation locations such as Cedar Break National Monument and the North Rim of Grand Canyon, we could tour other remaining parts of southwest USA at lower elevation in the Spring or Autumn seasons when the weather is not so hot.

Very colorful towering hoodoos at the bottom of the giant natural amphitheater in Cedar Break National Monument as viewed from the North View Overlook. It is very much a concentrated version of Bryce Canyon National Park. Cedar Break National Monument is a 3-mile wide, 2,500-foot deep massive natural amphitheater of wonderfully colored and eroded rock walls, fins, spires, columns and ridges of sandstone.

After we finished touring Cedar Break National Monument and were driving east on Highway 143 to go to Bryce Canyon National Park, we were surprised to see a huge area of ancient lava beds on both sides of Highway 143 not too far from Cedar Break National Monument as shown on these two photos. After I came home, I opened the Google map and clicked on Satellite view, indeed there are vary large areas of black colored lava beds just couple miles east of Cedar Break National Monument.

Ski Chairlift of Brian Head Ski Resort area about 2 miles north of Cedar Break National Monument along Highway 143. The quaint resort town of Brian Head also features an array of vacation rental condominiums, in addition to Lodge at Brian Head and the plush Cedar Breaks Lodge. The chairlift takes visitors to the top of Brian Head peak with fantastic sweeping view.

The Scenic Highways 14 and 143 coming up to Cedar Break National Monument are very hilly, winding with lovely beautiful views. They are parts of the allure, every turn you take unveils a stunning new vista as shown in these photos.

We also saw such outstanding colorful cliffs of hoodoos as shown in these three photos along Highway 14 even before we reach the junction of Highway 14 and Cedar Break Scenic Drive 148.

Colorful cliffs along Highway 14 going up to Cedar Break National Monument.

Similar to those in Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Break is a natural amphitheater at a plateau’s edge, where erosion is gradually carving back the edge, exposing the rock layers and shaping them into fantastic colored hoodoos and edges. Iron and manganese oxide impurities in the stone produce an amazing variety of brilliant colors in the limestone cliffs that constantly change with the angle of the sun's rays.

Spectacular view of the natural amphitheater of colorful hoodoos of Cedar Break National Monument with lots of snow as icing!.

群峰對天而立， 壯麗景觀。

Zion National Park has three sections: (1) Zion Canyon (Scenic Drive) which is the most popular main section, (2) Kolob Terrace, (3) East Part of Zion National Park east of Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel consisting of Checkerboard Mesa, and (4) Kolob Canyons. Sections (1), (2) and (3) in southern parts of Zion National Park are accessed through Utah Highway 9 at the southern border. The photos and associated commentaries for Sections (1), (2) and (3) are on my Travelogue web page at:

The Section (4) of Kolob Canyons is in northwest part of Zion and is accessed through Interstate Highway I-15 along the west border. In our previous trip in 2003, we toured all three sections of Zion National Park. After we finished Sections (1) and (3), we arrived at Section (4) of Kolob Canyon in late afternoon. The pictures of Kolob Canyons in late afternoon in 2003 are shown in the following two pictures. The colors of these red sandstone cliffs vary with the angle and the color of sun light. It is seen that the red content of the colors of these red cliffs in late afternoon taken in 2003 are slightly more intense than those shown above taken in mid-day of June 1, 2010. If they were taken at sunset time, these red colors probably would be even more intense and brilliant, similar to what we saw at sunset time in Monument Valley and in Arches National Park.

Shuntavi Butte of Kolob Canyons. The names of these peaks of Finger Canyons can be seen on a panoramic photo at the following website:

In our 2010 trip, we toured only Kolob Canyons but skipped Sections (1) and (2) of Zion National Park because there are major road construction work on Highway 9 from June 1 through October 28, 2010 that causes substantial delay and traffic jam on Highway 9 for accessing southern sections of Zion National Park.

Similar to Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Break National Monument at such high elevation can get about 250 days of freezing temperatures out of the year. The water gets in the cracks of sandstones during the day, freezes at night and expands. This repeated process of thaw-freeze-expand adds to the erosion of the rim of the high plateau into the giant natural amphitheater of hoodoos, ridges and spires in various hues of red, purple and gold, that led native American Indians to call it the Circle of Painted Cliffs.

This giant natural amphitheater of hoodoos gets its name of "Cedar Break" from early Utah settlers. It is called a "Break" because of its abrupt, broken, and deeply eroded canyons that were interruptions to travel, especially by wagon train of pioneers, on the old wagon road. In other words, it is a "badland" for traveling of early settlers.

Both Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Break National Monument are on the Pink Cliffs (i.e., Claron Formation) which is at the top step/layer of the Grand Staircase that starts at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Part 11 of 11 entitled "Valley of Fire and Virgin River Gorge - Part 11 of 11 of 2010 Tour of fantastic Southwest USA" is on my web page at:

A picture of me (Sing Lin) at North View Overlook - This photo by May Lee

Our 10-Day 2010 Tour Route of Southwest USA is a large loop starting and ending in Las Vegas in Nevada,USA. The sequence of fantastic Point-Of-Interest (POIs) on this large loop is:

Las Vegas in Nevada --------> Kolob Canyon in Zion National Park in Utah ---------> Cedar Break NationalMonument in Utah --------> Red Canyon State Park in Utah --------> Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah--------> Scenic Byway 12 through beautiful Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument in Utah --------> ScenicBurr Trail and southern Part of Capital Reef National Park in Utah --------> Goblin Valley State Park in Utah--------> Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah --------> Canyonland National Park in Utah ---------> ArchesNational Park in Utah --------> Goosenecks State Park in Utah --------> Monument Valley in Arizona --------> Antelope Canyons in Arizona --------> Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge over Colorado River in Arizona --------> Horseshoe Bend of Colorado River in Arizona ---------> Navajo Bridge over Colorado River in Arizona ---------> Scenic Highway 89-ALT from east to west along beautiful Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona--------> Grand Canyon - North Rim in Arizona --------> Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada ---------> Hemenway Park in Boulder City in Nevada ---------> Las Vegas in Nevada.

How I use information age technologies to enhance my enjoyment greatly of sightseeing large driving tour loop of thousands of miles and of one to two weeks in duration covering many Points of Interest is described on my web page at:

Spectacular panoramic view from Kolob Canyon Overlook. it's like the doors to Heaven open up. The scenery is astounding. It literally takes your breath away. It is even more magical at sunset. The orange turns to fire.

深红的路。

The drive is amazingly beautiful.

Pristine scenery!It is amazing.

Beautiful natural beauty of red rock canyon.

Have the best view on the surrounding mountains in front of you.

The views are STUNNING.

峰體造型奇特。

Experience the sheer beauty and magic of nature.

油畫般的山， 風景秀麗。

This is a place of lush natural beauty, truly nature's work of art.

After we finished touring Kolob Canyons in the afternoon of June 1, 2010, we intended to tour Cedar Break National Monument by driving north on Interstate Highway 15 to Cedar City, then turn east on Utah Highway 14 for 18 miles, then turn north on Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive 148 to try to reach Cedar Break National Monument through the South Entrance. However, we were surprised to find that Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive 148 was closed due to deep snow and mud on the ground! Cedar Break National Monument is at elevation above 10,000 feet and still has deep snow on the ground even on the summer day of June 1. It is almost 2 miles above sea level. So, we had to re-track back to Cedar City and asked for information. According to local people, the snow drifts can be 4 to 8 feet on the winding and hilly Highway 148.

Next morning on June 2, 2010, we drove further north on Interstate Highway 15 to Parowan, then turn south on Utah Highway 143 to enter the North Entrance of Cedar Break National Monument. Fortunately, Utah Highway 143 was open, but we could reach only one observation point, the North View Overlook, other overlooks were not reachable because of snow closure of Scenic Drive 148 around the rim of the natural amphitheater of Cedar Break National Monument.